#61 of 66 for you
San Diego, CA
The best climate in the country and rents that know it.
Left over monthly
$1,594
Versus Chicago
−$786/mo
−$9,432 a year
Local pay for your job
$102,252
Local wages run 9% vs national
Where the money goes
One earner filing as a household, at 1 bedrooms.
- Taxes$2,289
- Rent$2,291
- Other living costs$2,347
- Left over$1,594
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $102,252
- Federal income tax
- −$14,109
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,822
- State income tax (CA)
- −$5,537
- Take-home pay
- $74,784
- Effective tax rate
- 26.9%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $2,291
- Groceries
- $468
- Getting around
- $650
- Healthcare
- $527
- Utilities and internet
- $293
- Everything else
- $410
- Total spending
- $4,638
Left over each month
$8,521 gross, minus $2,289 in tax and $4,638 in living costs.
$1,594
What living here is like
- Weather
- 266 sunny days, 78°F in July, 50°F January nights
- Getting around
- Plan on a car per adult
- Average commute
- 27 minutes each way
- Size
- 3.3M people
- Buying instead
- Median home $791,600 — roughly $5,170/mo with 20% down, tax and upkeep
- Taxes
- California income tax. Sales tax 8.8%, property tax 0.67%.
How it scores against what you said matters
- Money left over
- 21
- Sun and mild weather
- 88
- Access to the outdoors
- 90
- City life and culture
- 76
- A short commute
- 55
Chicago vs San Diego, line by line
Same job, same household, both tax codes applied.
Open the comparison →Also worth a look
- Seattle, WA$3,406/mo
No state income tax and high wages, offset by home prices and 150 sunny days.
- Austin, TX$3,176/mo
No income tax, but property taxes are among the steepest anywhere.
- Houston, TX$3,159/mo
The cheapest housing of any top-10 metro, paid for in property tax and humidity.
- Dallas, TX$3,044/mo
No income tax, endless new construction, and a 1.5% property tax bill.